Minn. football team is staging a boycott

The Golden Gophers football team may be staying in its burrow for the foreseeable future.

Just 12 days before they were set to play in the Holiday Bowl against Washington State in San Diego, the entire Minnesota football team said it is boycotting all football activities after 10 of its players were suspended by the university this week.

“Effective immediately, we will boycott all football activities,” wide receiver Drew Wolitarsky said in a statement to reporters. “The boycott will remain in effect until due process is followed and the suspensions for all 10 players are lifted. We further request that [University of Minnesota President Eric] Kaler and [Athletic Director Mark] Coyle [issue] an apology and demand that these leaders are held accountable for their actions.”

The players’ suspensions stem from a Sept. 2 incident in which four players were accused of sexual assault hours after the Gophers defeated Oregon State in the season opener. Police declined to charge any of the players involved, but an internal investigation into the case by the university led to the latest round of sus- pensions Tuesday night.

Four of the players suspended — Ray Buford, KiAnte Hardin, Dior Johnson and Tamarion Johnson — were suspended for three games when their names first came up in the police investigation. The university added defensive backs Antonio Shenault and Antoine Winfield Jr., running backs Carlton Djam and Kobe McCrary, and quarterbacks Seth Green and Mark Williams to the list on their own accord.

The players believe their teammates punishments are unjust after no charges were filed and they failed to receive any reason why the suspensions were handed out.

“This decision for the players to take a stance is not easy, but important to the action to preserve the integrity of the program and ourselves,” Wolitarsky said. “As a player, it became more than a game to me. It became about the livelihood of these players after football. We come here to get a degree and make a life for ourselves and these kids’ reputations have been ruined.”

The Golden Gophers finished the Big Ten season by winning five of their last seven games to end the season with an 8-4 record.